When in Havana, Eat What the Cubans Eat -But Keep it Simple. Here are Some of the
City's Best Eateries.
Havana is certainly not a place to go for a gourmet getaway, but you can eat surprisingly well if you know where to go and what to order. Despite major obstacles in obtaining fresh ingredients and in finding competent staff, a few restaurants in the city are able to create simple and satisfying cuisine, from sweet grilled lobster to succulent roasted chicken and pork. And nowadays, some of the small, family-run eateries known as paladares cook up as good or better food than most formal restaurants on the island.
The rule for gastronomic survival in Havana is always to order the least sophisticated dishes on the menu. Chicken and lobster are usually sure bets, although during my last trip to Cuba I was served a sautéed chicken breast that resembled my dining companion's tennis shoe and a grilled lobster that was as dry as Parmesan cheese. However, such experiences are usually the exception if you visit the best establishments, such as those recommended in this article.
You can eat just about any type of cuisine you like in Havana, from Cuban, or criollo, food, such as roasted pork with black beans and rice, to Chinese, complete with freshly made wontons and shark fin soup. Generally speaking, criollo is the best choice, since it's what the Cubans eat and the ingredients are readily available. Every Cuban working in a restaurant knows how to roast pork and chicken or prepare black beans and rice.
The biggest minefield in dining in Havana are restaurants that serve "international cuisine." Most have neither the ingredients nor the know-how to properly prepare such food. Eating in one of these restaurants is like traveling back to the 1950s. It's all there, from canned vegetables to Jell-O. I have even seen Spam served in one restaurant. A typical dish in these places would be something like Norwegian salmon in a canned mushroom cream sauce with frozen carrots. Who really needs this in Havana?
Strangely, the arm of Cuba's government even extends to the recipes in Havana's restaurants. Chefs are given written instructions on how to prepare each dish on a menu; in many places, it seems as though they haven't had any new recipes since the revolution.
"I can't lighten or change any of the dishes in my restaurant because the government prescribes exactly how they should be prepared," says a chef in one Havana restaurant. On the wall of his kitchen hang a few dozen photographs showing exactly how the dishes on his menu should appear when they arrived at the table. "Besides, the ministry wants us to maintain specific dishes from the 1950s which were always served here," he adds. "They don't want anything changed."
Two types of restaurants exist in Cuba. One is the government-run establishments that cater primarily to foreigners who pay in U.S. dollars [European and other visitors pay in U.S. dollars?--bg] or with non-U.S. credit cards. (Due to the embargo, credit cards drawn on U.S. banks cannot be used in Cuba.) These restaurants are the places listed in most guide books and found in hotels. Hotel staffs are instructed not to recommend anything other than the government's restaurants. Most are overpriced with poor service and mediocre food.
The other type of restaurants are the paladares, the family-operated places that feed locals and visitors alike who pay in cash, either in dollars [again, what about Europeans, etc.?--bg] or in Cuban pesos. Usually about one-third or one-half the price of government places, these private restaurants began springing up about four years ago. Their name comes from a Brazilian soap opera, "Vale Todo," which featured a poor woman who soon gained her fortune after starting a small roadside restaurant--El Paladar de Raquel. The government limits the number of seats in paladores (up to 12) and prohibits lobster and steak from their menus. In spite of the restrictions, the best paladores offer a welcome change from the predictable fare of the government-run restaurants.
"There's a longtime tradition of small, family-run restaurants in Cuba," says Fernando Fernandez, a wine salesman in Havana. "Before the revolution, my father had a small restaurant in Old Havana. This is the reestablishment of a tradition. The most interesting food in Havana is now in paladares."
Unfortunately, because so many paladares have opened recently, it's become difficult to monitor their sanitary standards. I have been to some where you are literally eating in someone's living room with granny and mother cooking and serving. A quick look in the kitchen normally gives you an idea about the quality of the food. I have seen some kitchens so filthy that they turned my stomach. Stories abound of tourists spending their holiday in their room after eating at a paladar recommended by a taxi driver.
Perhaps the greatest improvement in dining in Cuba has been the wine selection. Few major cities throughout the Caribbean or Latin America have as many good wines available to diners as in Havana. There's even a club of knowledgeable wine waiters. "I must have been crazy," admitted Enrico Garzaroli, an Italian who owns and runs the major wine-importing company on the island, Wines and Spirits Distributors of Havana. "But I love wine and you have to have something good to drink when you are in Cuba." He sells close to 50,000 cases a year in Cuba now, mostly in Havana restaurants and hotels.
Most restaurants, not including paladares, have good wine lists, usually with at least 50 to 60 different selections. It's best to keep to Chilean or Spanish wines since the turnover is better, which means you have less chance of ordering a poorly stored bottle. Cuba's hot, humid weather is hell on fresh wines. Look for such names as Torres, Marques de Riscal, Marques de Caceres and Concha y Toro. You may also find good wines from France, including those from Louis Latour, Ladoucette and Hugel. There are even California wines from Wente.
Surprisingly, the availability of good Cuban cigars is usually a problem in local restaurants. Most do not have large cigar selections, and numerous sell counterfeit smokes. A few have a roller in their dining rooms who makes cigars on the spot, but the cigars are often rough or poor tasting. It's best to bring your own unless you are going somewhere such as La Floridita, which has a great selection.
To your right are restaurants I have visited in the past year. Keep in mind that paladares, being home-grown operations, can close without notice. It's best to ask around. Expensive restaurants are those that cost $40 or more per person without wine; moderate, $25 to $35, and inexpensive, less than $20. Cuban waiters expect to be tipped after a meal; 10 percent of the bill is more than appreciated, although they often don't deserve it.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Visit our Travel Guide page for more recommended restaurants.
El AljibeAve. 7ma entre 24 y 26
Miramar, Playa
Phone: 241584, 241583
Moderate
This is the liveliest, most popular restaurant in Havana for people in the know, and for good reason: El Aljibe serves the best Cuban food in town. It's Havana's outdoor answer to a bustling Parisian brasserie or a jumping New York bar and grill. Order the house specialty, which is a platter full of juicy roasted chicken served in a flavorful meat sauce. Neither the waiters nor the chef will divulge the recipe for this wonderful sauce, but sources say it's made from fermented orange juice and drippings from the roasted chicken. The roasted pork or grilled steaks are equally good. Regardless of your choice, everything is accompanied with crisp French fries, beans and rice as well as local produce such as plantains. Plenty of good wines are available, especially those from Chile and Spain, and they are well kept in a temperature-controlled storage room. After your meal, try a seven-year-old Havana club rum or the rarer Matusalem Anejo Superior in a snifter, along with a cigar. The restaurant's humidor is usually well stocked.
La GuardiaCalle Concordia No. 418
e/Gervasio y Escobar
Centro Habana
Phone: 624940
Inexpensive
The coolest place to eat in Havana is this small paladar. Located on the third floor of an eighteenth-century townhouse in central Havana, the three-room restaurant is in a converted apartment that features a balcony and beautifully carved cornices with wooden shutters. It's like a small, funky yet hip restaurant in New York's Soho or the Latin Quarter in Paris. Don't worry about the dilapidated entrance and stairway that lead to the restaurant; it's just part of the experience. (The 1995 Oscar-nominated Cuban film, Fresa y Chocolate, was filmed there.) The food is thoughtfully prepared with a delicate touch. On a given night you might encounter a tangy and savory gaspacho soup or succulent fillets of snapper and grouper served with a buerre blanc sauce that shows just the right amount of lively acidity. Owner Enrique Nunez keeps a small but interesting selection of wines, mostly Spanish. A keen cigar smoker, he was one of the creators of Cuaba. Carlos Rodriq[g?]uez rolls cigars for the restaurant. The two are worth the trip alone.
Don CongrejoCalle 1ra entre 16 y 18
Miramar, Playa
Phone: 24-41-69
Moderate
This is Havana's take on Joe's Stone Crab in Miami, but it comes across more like a cheap oceanside fish house outside of Barcelona, despite being in the upscale district of Miramar. Nonetheless, Don Congrejo's fish is second to none for quality, which is not surprising since the Ministry of Fisheries oversees the restaurant. Come for lunch; the view of the sea is refreshingly calming after spending some time in the hustle of the city. You can eat outdoors if weather permits. Crab, lobster and shrimp are prepared in just about every way imaginable. Fresh fish is always available; try the grouper or snapper. Plenty of good wines are available, with a list featuring more than 150 selections from France, Spain, Italy and even California. Ask Rene Garcia, an English-speaking and highly professional wine waiter, for his recommendations. Bring your own cigars.
Ranchon (Casa de 5ta y 16)5ta Ave esquina 16
Miramar, Playa
Phone: 241185
Moderate
This is one of the most pleasant places for a cigar lover to spend a quiet al fresco lunch in Havana. Located in the fashionable Miramar district, the small restaurant is adjacent to one of the best cigar shops in the city. Order a frosty mug of Cuban beer, preferably Crystal, and enjoy the simple but well-prepared food. The standard grilled lobster or roasted pork and chicken are always reliable; however, chef Juan Luis Rosalas usually has a special of the day, which can include anything from grilled lamb cutlets to roast beef. Try his delicious stuffed red peppers with tuna for a starter. Service is quick and friendly. And don't forget to order a good cigar after your meal. Or walk into the shop a few feet away and buy a box.
La Floridita Obispo No. 557
La Habana Vieja
Phone: 631060, 631061, 631111
Expensive
This is an institution in Havana, and a must visit for everyone. It is what a restaurant such as Tour d'Argent is to Paris and Four Seasons is to New York. Stop in for a cocktail at the best bar in town. Order a daiquiri nature, which is a shaken drink instead of the nose-tingling frozen version; it's the connoisseur's daiquiri. A fresh bowl of deep-fried plantain chips are always nearby to go with your drinks.
Sadly, the dining room is not up to par with the bar, although it's not bad. The modern neoclassical decoration of the room is elegant and inviting. It's classy and formal, yet doesn't necessitate wearing a suit--after all, this is Havana. Service is incredibly professional and attentive. The big problem is the kitchen. The menu is too ambitious, with lots of complex international-style dishes with rich sauces that could never be prepared properly in Havana. Stick to simple dishes instead. For instance, one of the best courses is prawns flambéed in rum by your waiter at the table. It is fresh and flavorful. The wine list is one of the best in the city, with excellent choices from France and Chile. Look for excellent French whites such as Baron de L Pouilly Fume or the Corton Charlemagne of Louis Latour. To finish off your meal, the restaurant has the best selection of cigars in the city, not to mention a large assortment of rums.
La TorreEdificio Focsa
Calle 17 e/M y N
Vedado
Phone: 55-3088
Expensive
If you want a fine dining experience in Havana, this is the only place to go, and it's all thanks to a crazy young French chef called Frank Pecol. He came to Havana a few years ago as a tourist and fell in love with the place. Despite all the obstacles in obtaining good ingredients, he still manages to turn out well-prepared, interesting food, from grilled prawns with a sweet and refreshing soya [soy?--tf] sauce to a juicy, perfectly cooked steak with a red wine reduction served with fresh vegetables and potato gratin. It's like top hotel food in Europe or the United States, but in Havana it's three-star Michelin quality. In addition, the view of Havana from the dining room is fantastic at night since the restaurant's on the twentieth floor.[of what?--tf] The wine list is very good, with all the usual quality selections in town, from Torres Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon to a Concha y Toro Amelia Chardonnay. Service is helpful but slightly disorganized. Just don't look closely at the dining room's decor; it's reminiscent of an insurance company office circa 1960.
Le ChansonnierNo. 306
Calle 15 entre H e I
Vedado
Phone: 32-37-88
Inexpensive
One of the more popular paladares in the city, Le Chansonnier aspires to be like a small family restaurant in France, and it does a pretty good job of it. The private restaurant was originally created with the help of a waiter from the Le Chansonnier bistro in Paris. The place is small and cozy, with a few tables located in the front garden terrace as well as inside the house. Food is simple and well prepared. Try the grilled lamb chops or roasted rabbit in mustard sauce. They usually are served with the best French fries in town. The wine list is very limited, and you must bring your own cigars.
La CasaCalle 30 no.865 entre 26 y 41
Nuevo Vedado, Plaza
Phone: 817000
Inexpensive
This is an extremely good, small family-run restaurant in the quiet neighborhood of Nueva Vedado. You can eat either in the dining room or out in the garden. Located in a 1950s-style house with a modish decor, La Casa serves such delicious dishes as fresh prawns sautéed in butter with garlic, and juicy roasted pork with beans and rice. The proprietor recommends his deep-fried chicken stuffed with cheese--something he calls "Chicken Gordon Blue." Regardless, it's tasty and rich. I once ran into Spain's Michelin three-star chef, Juan Mari Arzak, at La Casa, and he says he always eats there when he is in Havana--not a bad recommendation. There are usually a few good bottles of wine available as well as a good selection of rum. Bring your own smokes.
La Cocina de LilliamCalle 48 No. 1311 entre 13 y 15,
Miramar, Playa
Inexpensive
This is a relaxing little restaurant, with a wonderful plant-filled garden to soak up the atmosphere of a sultry Cuban evening. There's also a private room with air conditioning if you want more creature comforts. The food is solid home cooking, from oven-cooked meats to sautéed fish. A starter of warm chick peas mixed with sautéed onions and three different types of ham is mouthwateringly satisfying, while a tuna-and-onion tartlet is reminiscent of my grandmother's simple but tasty cooking. Lilliam [last name?], who does the cooking, is a master with fresh fish. Try the snapper or grouper, which is oven-roasted. Service is attentive and very friendly. Not much to drink in the way of wine, and bring your cigars.